Sabzi heroes in Kolkata to save vegetables

A funeral procession led by volunteers of environmental organization Greenpeace and joined by various other individuals and organisations in the city marked the end of the vegetables who 'committed suicide' on 8th February across Kolkata in fear of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) bill.

However, the procession was joined by a group of ´Superheroes´, who were all dressed in vegetable costumes. The 'Sabzi heroes' as they are called, emerged from various vegetable markets and famous eateries of Kolkata and pledged to save food by protesting against the BRAI bill.

The BRAI Bill, 2011was listed for introduction both during the monsoon and winter session of last year but had to be stopped because of the opposition inside and outside the parliament.

The bill is expected to create a single window clearance system that will lower the bar for the approval of genetically modified crops which are in a controversy around the world owing to the potential dangers they pose to human health, environment and livelihoods dependent on farming.

"It is outrageous that the Central government came up with such a proposal when the citizens across the country are saying no to GM crops and GM food due to the potential impacts on human health and environment. A law like this is definitely not in the interest of the public and will only benefit the Multinational seed companies who stand to make profit by selling these GM seeds" said Azim Doula, coordinator YUVA, a youth group in Kolkata.

He further stated that "our hope lies in our Chief Minister taking up this people´s issue and asking the Central Government to scrap this cantankerous Bill"

Kolkata had already witnessed a massive public agitation on the plans to commercialise the first GM food crop, Bt Brinjal in the past . There is nation wide opposition against GM crops where Scientists, Consumer groups, Farmer Unions, political parties and environmentalists have aired their concerns that GM crops in general and Bt Brinjal in particular poses to citizens health, biodiversity and livelihoods involved in farming.

Around 13 state governments had also stated their opposition to Bt Brinjal.

The public pressure finally led the then Environment and Forests minister Jairam Ramesh to declare in 2010, an indefinite moratorium on the commercialization process.

Ever since that time Biotech seed companies and Ministry of Science and technology have been trying to circumvent this opposition. BRAI is one such significant effort.

The Bill has been widely critisised for its undemocratic nature and promotional approach it has towards GM crops instead of taking a precautionary one.

A legal assessment of the report released yesterday highlighted Bill is fundamentally flawed as provisions of the Bill do not conform with several principles which form the core of Indian and international environmental jurisprudence like absolute liability for hazardous and dangerous activities, polluter pays principle, precautionary principle, onus of proof on those who want to change the status quo, effective public participation in environmental decision making and access to biosafety information.

"The biotech seed companies and their cronies in the central government are now trying to bring back Bt Brinjal and many other GM crops by changing the rules of the game" said Rajesh Krishnan, Campaign manager, Sustainable Agriculture Campaign, Greenpeace India.

"It is absolutely condemnable that the bill besides lacking in longterm independent biosafety assessments to ascertain the impacts of GM crops also overrides the right of the state governments to stop the environmental release of a GMO in its territory, something which exists now"

The march of the ´super heroes´ which started at the New Market square engaged with hundreds of on lookers making them aware of the dangers with GM crops and urging them to invoke the hero in them to stop GM crops and such laws like BRAI.

The march concluded with those assembled taking a solemn pledge to fight and safeguard our food, farming and environment from GM crops.

The gathering also urged the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamta Banerjee to take note of the threat that BRAI poses and tell the central government in clear terms to stop the promotion of GM crops and scrap the BRAI Bill in the interest of all.